In the Absence of Desperate Circumstances
by lefty21
Summary: “You’re all about the grand gestures but you’ve been real lousy on the follow through. Seth has a final conversation with Zach after the prom that leads him to some conclusions about his relationship with Summer.


So here is the result of me having a midterm I didn't want to study for. A one shot set right after the O.Sea. Seth has a final conversation with Zach that helps him come to his own conclusions about his relationship with Summer.

Warning- as with most of my stories now, some sexual content as snuck in, so if it bothers you, please don't read, or if you want to read, skip the middle section.

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Seth Cohen was happy as he walked into school the Monday after prom.

In fact, he was so beyond happy that, if there actually existed some sort scientific happy meter, he would be willing to bet his entire trust fund that he would break the scale.

He was completely, totally, 100 percent on top of the world, as minty as that sounded. He could care less that he was being the king of minty at the moment, because he was done caring about stupid, little things that didn't matter.

So frivolous little battles with Zach? No more of those.

Ego trips over some overrated comic book mavens showing interest in him? A thing of the past.

Obsessing over a childish comic based on his life rather than actually living his life? He was done with it.

He was done being selfish and only caring about himself. No more of that trying to have his cake and eat it too.

It didn't work for him. And it never ended up making him happy. There was one thing that made him happy, and whenever he tried to have that and the other things it never worked, and he would always end up losing the thing that made him most happy.

Last summer he wanted to run away from Newport and keep Summer, but he could only have one, and it turned out the first one wasn't what he wanted at all if he couldn't have the second one with it.

He'd wanted the comic book and Summer even though he knew she couldn't stand it. He had tried to please both, and in the end when he was sitting in a meeting with George Lucas the only thing he could think about was how much happier he would have been at his stupid high school prom with the only girl who had ever mattered.

So after two painful versions of the same lesson, Seth was finally excepting his fate. Summer made him happy; she made him more happy than anything else could. And it wasn't that he couldn't have anything else that made him happy, because she wasn't that kind of girlfriend who only wanted him to be interested in her. It was just whatever else he wanted had to be in a Zen state with Summer. If it couldn't coexist peacefully, then it was gone.

Summer wasn't selfish, at least not really. She didn't want him to give up everything he cared about. She just wanted him to stop being so selfish and start being willing to give up some things that he cared about, just like she had risked her relationship with her father; or like she had sacrificed her pride to come back to him; or like how she had so willingly given up her popularity and the life she had known at Harbor to be with him.

And Seth finally understood that. To make himself happy, he had to make Summer happy. Because he wasn't happy without her. He hadn't been happy out on his boat or in Portland all summer and he hadn't been happy coloring alone in his room and sitting at that meeting with George Lucas. He had been happy when he'd gone groveling back to her for her forgiveness and she had rewarded him with that heart stopping smile.

So he was finally willing to start making the sacrifices she had been making since they got together. He knew she wasn't going to put up with anymore of his immature antics. He had to be willing to enter into a real relationship. Two strikes and he only got one more chance. No more running away on boats when things got too hard, or becoming so absorbed in a trivial comic book that he started ignoring the things that really mattered.

But Summer was mature and giving in the sense that she wanted him to have all the things that made him happy outside of her, so she would never make him give up something he really loved. She understood the need for those interests. Just like he shared her with Marissa and shopping and her father, she was fine sharing him with his family and his music and his drawing. But there would be no more treating her like she was just second priority all the time.

Which was what he had been doing with the graphic novel. By the end he hadn't loved it. It had turned into a burden; a competition between him and Zach that he felt like he couldn't quit. It had taken it turning him into a tired, selfish, egotistical jerk, and Summer leaving him for being such a self-centered ass to finally realize that he had to stop competing. He had gotten the one thing that really mattered when Summer had showed up at his house when she should have been on a plane to Italy and stood by him in the pouring rain while the fire department had cut him down from his roof.

So Zach could have Reed and the comic book and the meeting with George Lucas. Hell, he could have all of his clothes, his entire comic collection and his trust fund for all Seth cared. Just as long as he got Summer.

And, thanks to that disastrous meal with George Lucas where he finally acted like a man and chose, once and for all, what he really wanted, he had her again. And this time he wouldn't mess it up. Anything she wanted of him, she could demand it and he'd give it to her with a smile.

It was with this new outlook that he entered school on Monday morning. He had gotten her back Saturday night at prom and had spent all day Sunday while she spent the day with Marissa figuring out what he had to do to make sure he never lost her again.

And now he was speeding to meet up with her in the common area before class. They had agreed to meet at seven thirty, which gave them a half hour before classes started, but Seth had been anxious, so he had arrived ten minutes early in the hopes that she would have been anxious too.

But he found the area virtually empty when he arrived. Only a few people were in there, quietly flipping through notebooks or scribbling across papers. So he relaxed a little and made his way over to the coffee cart at a leisurely pace where he ordered two lattes, one no foam the way she liked it.

Then he found himself a deserted couch to plop down on as he waited for her arrival. His eyes were permanently attached to the entrance, and he hoped he didn't appear nearly as desperate as he felt waiting there for her to come.

Then, to his absolute and total disappointment, the last person he wanted to see in the world walked through the door.

Great, Seth thought as he discreetly started digging through his bag, hoping to avoid eye contact. This was not the first conversation he wanted to have in the morning.

But, unfortunately, there weren't many people in the room, and Zach was left with little choice. If he didn't go over it would be obvious why he didn't. And he wasn't about to walk away in total defeat with his tail between his legs.

The truth was he had been perfectly happy to be at the prom with Summer. He had actually allowed himself to hope that when she had said she couldn't choose between them that she was being honest with herself. He had figured with her being so indecisive and believing that Seth had chosen something else over her, she would have been open to him charming her.

But when it came down to it she couldn't hide her disappointment. She had been gracious, and plastered a too-sincere-too-be-real smile on her face, but anyone could tell that this hadn't been what she pictured in all of her prom fantasies. And when she nonchalantly inquired how the two of them had finally decided and he told her about the meeting, conveniently leaving out the fact about the coin toss, her shrug and smile hadn't done anything to mask the hurt in her eyes at thinking that the guy she'd really wanted to be with had passed her up for the stupid comic book once again.

He had been distant and rambled on about the meeting the whole night to save face. He couldn't very well show her how much he cared if she obviously didn't return the sentiment.

It hadn't been easy walking away from her that night and passing his jacket off to Seth outside so he could go in and make her happy, but he had done it because he couldn't kid himself anymore.

And now that he was back at school with them he had to accept defeat graciously and pretend like he didn't care that much.

"Hey man, mind if I sit down."

"Oh, hey Zach, I, uh, didn't see you come in," Seth spoke casually, politely moving his bag to the ground next to his feet in silent invitation for him to sit.

Zach eyed the two coffees on the table for a second as he sat down. "So you're here pretty early. Aren't you usually a 'slip in right before the bell rings' kind of guy."

"Uh…" Seth hesitated. "Yeah, I do like to spend as little time here as possible, and I like my extra sleep in the morning, but I'm actually meeting someone."

"Right," Zach narrowed his eyes and sighed. "I'm not stupid. And you don't have to try to spare my feelings or anything."

"Uh, what are you talking about?"

Zach nodded towards the two cups. "NF," he read the messy letters scrawled across Summer's cup out loud. "I never used to remember. I didn't get what the big deal was about the foam."

"It gives her a stomachache."

"Yeah," Zach nodded, his voice distant as he considered the situation. "So I guess it's official… again."

"Uh… yeah," Seth nodded, trying to keep a smile from gracing his lips out of respect for his onetime, kind of, friend. "So how'd the rest of the meeting go?" he asked after a few minutes, moving the conversation to the only other thing they could really talk about.

"It went really well, actually. He likes the idea. Reed and I are gonna work on some more ideas, flush it out some more, and then, hopefully, we'll set up another meeting. I'm actually taking an internship with Reed this summer, so hopefully we'll be able to make some real progress."

"Hey," Seth smiled sincerely, "that's great, man."

"Yeah, thanks. That's great about you and Summer, too," he added with a forced smile. He could be civil, and he really did want to move on and be happy for them, but it was hard to be sincere when he secretly felt Seth was getting the better deal.

They sat in awkward silence for a minute, both trying to avoid eye contact until Zach finally spoke up.

"Just…" he started then stopped, not quite sure how to word it. "Don't hurt her anymore."

"Uh…" Seth eyed him curiously. This was a weird place for their conversation to be going. They fought over her a lot, but they hardly ever directly talked about Summer. "What?"

"I picked up the pieces after you left the first time. We met at one of Holly's parties and she was completely wasted. She was like that the next two times I met her too. For some reason you have this crazy effect on her, man. All those stupid decisions and mistakes you make tear her up."

"Look, Zach…" Seth started slowly, trying to figure out the best way to tell him to mind his own business. "I don't think this is really something we should be talking about."

"I care about her, Seth," he blurted out before he could stop himself. "By the time you showed up last fall I was already starting to fall in love with her."

Seth sat speechless.

"And I get it now. I understand that we never really had a chance. She chose you over me long before she ever even knew there was a me. I was just the new kid in town who didn't know the history. If I had maybe I would have thought twice before getting involved." He sighed, taking in a breath. "I tried twice, man. I wanted to be able to take her away from you; make her forget about you. It took me almost a whole year to realize that it wouldn't happen. Even after all the crap you've put her through she can't let go."

"What are you getting at, Zach?" Seth broke in, getting a little annoyed.

"Just stop screwing up, because she's not going to give up on you, and she doesn't deserve to keep getting treated like she's just some prize you want to win and get bored with when you finally get her."

"You don't know what you're talking about. I love her more than anything."

'You never show it," Zack challenged. "Have you ever even told her?"

"What are you talking about? I've told her I loved her plenty. You've been there half the time."

"You've only ever done it when you thought you had something to gain from it. On the hotdog stand, when you were trying to win her from me, and again at the launch party. You've only ever done it to get her attention, or to try to win her over. When have you ever done it just because you thought it was something she deserved to hear?"

"I told her Saturday, at the prom."

"When? Afterwards when it was just the two of you? Or was it when you were making that grand entrance that everyone's been talking about."

"Why's that matter?"

"You're all about the grand gestures but you've been real lousy on the follow through. It's all about 'desperate times call for desperate measures', but when you actually get her you take her for granted. You make your feelings real clear when you're trying to get her, but what about when you have her. She deserves to be treated like the most precious thing in the world all the time, not just in desperate times."

"Summer knows that I love her, and that I'm not just about the chase."

"Any guy would be lucky to get one chance with her, and you've already let her down twice. I don't understand what it is that makes her keep coming back, but I'm just saying, don't mess it up again, because I'm not the only other guy who sees how great she is."

"I won't mess it up again," Seth stated firmly, leaving no room for Zach to doubt him. "And Summer knows that I would do anything for her now."

Zach nodded and sighed. He hated that he believed Seth. Yeah, him and Summer weren't above petty games and low blows when they were angry with each other or trying to make the other jealous, but everyone could see that they had a connection that no one else could touch. She refused to give up on him, and he refused to let her. His devotion to her far outweighed the doubts he constantly made her have.

The silent tension between the two was only broken when Seth's favorite sound in the entire world floated between them.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Summer asked tentatively, sensing the tension as soon as she had walked in the room. She placed a hand on Seth's shoulder in greeting, respectful of Zach's presence and the delicateness of the situation. She certainly wasn't trying to hide hers and Seth's newly mended relationship from him, but she was sure the last thing he wanted to see was the two of them hugging and kissing, at least not so soon after the prom debacle.

"Not much," Zach finally spoke up as he stood. "Just saying hello," he stated casually as he threw his bag over his shoulder, but he was staring meaningfully at Seth. "I'll talk to you guys later."

Summer offered a small smile as he left before throwing herself down beside Seth. She watched Zach's retreating form until he was out of earshot and then turned to Seth. "What were you guys talking about?"

"There are only two things we ever talk about," Seth mumbled pointedly. "And I'm so over the comic book."

"What'd he say?" Summer asked, worried.

Seth smiled and shrugged, deciding the conversation was definitely better left between him and Zach. "Just that he wished us well."

"Okay…" she eyed him doubtfully but quickly dismissed it. "I'm sorry I'm late. The parking lot was a bitch."

"It's fine," he smiled, leaning forward to kiss her like he had been waiting to do all morning. It was brief, but they both pulled back grinning. "I'm think we'll have to wait until lunch to hang out now, though. Class starts in ten minutes," he said, glancing at his watch.

Summer groaned as Seth stood and reached a hand down to pull her up. He handed her the coffee and she smiled.

"For me?"

"Yeah, but it may be a little cold now."

"Whatever," Summer said as she sipped it. "As long as there's no foam."

"Of course not."

"You know me so well," she smiled. "Now, walk me to my locker?"

"I guess," Seth sighed playfully. "Maybe if you're nice on the way there I'll even carry your books to class for you."

"Aww, even the Euro History one?"

"That thing's massive! It'll strain my back."

Summer pouted.

"But I guess I can just ice it when I get home."

"If you come over later I'll ice it for you."

"In that case…" Seth smirked, "do you have anything else you want me to carry?"

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Seth yawned into the back of Summer's head later that afternoon as they studied in her bedroom. They had gone to the diner after school and then proceeded to her house to study for the AP Euro History final they had the next day. Finals were the one bad thing that came with the end of the school year.

They had been at it for hours, Summer sat between his legs, leaning against his chest with the text book in her lap as they quizzed each other. It had gotten dark out about an hour before and Seth was starting to lose focus.

"Are you wimping out on me, Cohen?"

"Me?" Seth yawned again. "Of course not," he whispered as he placed a kiss against the back of her head.

"We've covered a lot," she stated, turning her face towards him and raising an eyebrow. "You think we could call it quits for the night? We could meet early tomorrow and go over the stuff again."

"I think that sounds like a good idea," he smiled down at her, moving one of the hands wrapped around her waist to slide the text book off her lap.

"You've still got a few hours until curfew," she noted casually as she glanced at the clock. "Any suggestions for what we should do now?" she asked, her lips pressing against his neck and sucking against his pulse point gently to suggest what she had in mind.

Seth let a soft laugh escape and she felt it reverberate against her lips. After a moment Summer pulled back to look at him expectantly.

He smiled thoughtfully before dropping his lips to her cloth-clad shoulder and placing a chaste kiss there. He stayed there for a moment, pressing his lips against her as he considered something.

"I just want to sit here with you," he finally admitted softly, pulling away slightly and looking at her sheepishly.

She looked at him curiously, studying his eyes for further explanation. "You do realize I was offering you sex, right?" she finally questioned after a moment.

"I love you," Seth stated without warning or fanfare.

Summer eyed him thoughtfully for a long moment. "I know," she finally answered. He had said it before, but she felt as if it meant something different for him this time; it certainly felt different for her this time. He'd said it before, and she had believed him, but this time, the way that he was looking at her, she felt it; she felt it ten times more than she ever had before.

"I'm _in love_ with you," he reiterated, wanting to clarify exactly what he was saying. "And I always will be. It was never about the chase, Summer," he whispered, eyes locked on hers. "I was just stupid before, and instead of admitting to you that I was scared because I had no idea what I was doing and didn't think I could make you happy I just kept messing up… but I promise I'll be honest with you from now on. I just want to make you happy."

"You do make me happy, Seth," she breathed shakily, her eyes glassy. "I just wish you could do it without hurting me."

"I'm done," he promised, and that short proclamation held so many meanings for them. He was done hurting her; done taking her for granted; done making stupid mistakes; done being afraid to talk to her about his true feelings; done hiding behind his immaturity so that he wouldn't have to face the fact that he had the power to hurt her. And most of all he was done being afraid about not making her happy and was ready to do everything in his power to make sure she was never sad because of him again.

Summer nodded, afraid to say anything without her voice betraying the tears that were about one more heartfelt proclamation of his away from falling.

He leaned in and kissed her then. His lips pressed against hers gently, and it felt different than it ever had before. And it was making her whole body tingle.

His lips parted slightly and his tongue peeked out and brushed against her lips. It wasn't pushy, simply a modest request, which made her all the more eager to open up to him and let him in, both literally and emotionally.

He cupped her face gently with one hand and her skin tingled even more where his fingertips brushed.

They had kissed a lot before; they had done a lot more than kissing before; they had done a lot more than kissing just two nights before when she had dragged him into her empty house and couldn't even wait to get him upstairs. But this was different. Her stomach was fluttering and she kind of felt like she was floating. And all she wanted to do was stay there kissing him just like that until the maid came in the next morning and forced them to get up so she could make the bed.

Summer had always had strong feelings for Seth. She gave him her virginity before they were even technically dating; she took him back after he left her; she put up with all his dumb Cohenisms. She could never deny him, and something had always drawn her back in, but she had never felt like this before.

Before he'd left last summer she had thought maybe she was falling in love with him. She had almost even told him at the wedding when she found him looking so lost and desolate, but she had thought better of it at the last minute. Maybe if she had he wouldn't have left. But she hadn't wanted to say it until she was sure, and the problem was that there was no love manual that revealed the exact formula for figuring out if she was sure.

When she'd asked Marissa she had said she'd just known; it had felt right. Well Summer had always known it felt right being with Seth, but she was at a loss about the rest.

When he'd left she'd forced herself to stop thinking about it. She couldn't be in love with a guy who left. And when he'd come back she had already suppressed the feelings she'd had last spring so much that she didn't even think about it. But when she had seen that mini-Cohen in the airport they had come back full force. They'd made some appearances over the months, but she'd pushed them aside and ignored them. When she saw the boy, though, and her mind was filled with thoughts of the past and future, it was the first time she had felt that tingle in her stomach. That feeling that she just had to be with him or else nothing would be okay.

Then he had acted like an ass and she had merely put up with him for the majority of their second try in the hopes that he would come down and go back to being her old Cohen.

But then he had given up his comic for her; he gave up George Lucas for her. He'd looked her in the eye when there wasn't anything to prove and he wasn't just trying to win her attention, and he'd told her he loved her; he was in love with her.

And then the tingling wouldn't stop and it felt like it never would. Before it had only ever lasted a few seconds; a brief taste that made her wonder some and smile at him, but still always a feeling that she could question and deny and ignore because she was too scared to do anything more with it.

But now she felt it again, and it was ten times more intense than it ever had been, and she wondered if this was what Marissa had meant when she'd said it just felt right.

Deep down she'd always just kind of believed love was a guessing game. She figured she would never really know for sure; she would just eventually have to say it because time would mandate that it had been long enough and it was standard protocol. A week after their six month anniversary Zach had said it to her and she'd wondered if a standard six months was the point where people were supposed to start saying it. But she couldn't bring herself to do it so she just smiled, channeled Ryan, and said "Thank you." Zach had blushed and never brought it up again.

Marissa had said it after two months with Ryan, and that's when she'd said it just "felt right."

She had been back together with Cohen for less than three days, but she was certain now that something felt right. Whatever was happening in her stomach couldn't be denied. All her mind could do was focus on his lips gently massaging over hers as it continuously replayed his words over and over again.

She loved him.

There, she admitted it to herself with an inward sigh. She'd hoped the butterflies in her stomach would stop then and she could go back to being guarded and self-preserving in case he decided to hurt her again. But they persisted. And the feeling grew stronger by the minute. It was making her anxious and she wasn't sure how much longer Seth's gentle kiss would be enough to facilitate her.

These feelings were in her, but they wanted out. They wouldn't let her repress them anymore. They were going to make her admit it; show it; leave no doubt. These damned feelings were like a volcano that had been suppressed and building up for thousands of years. The activity had been there; there had been episodes- first at the wedding, then when she left Zach at the airport for him, and when he came rushing into prom like he would die if he didn't get to her. But those small episodes were over, now. Nature wasn't going to let her get away with that anymore. The pressure was there and it was all going to be released.

"Seth…" she pulled back, breathing heavily and doing all she could to avoid eye contact. She didn't know what would happen if she was forced to look at those eyes again. She held the back of his head, holding them close so their noses were brushing, and she focused down on his lips- they were wet and slightly swollen and they made her aware of her own, slightly parted with her tongue peeking out. She licked them and she felt evidence of the shaky breath Seth let out brush against face.

"Yeah?" he finally answered, his own eyes focused on her diverted ones.

"I…" she croaked as she finally looked up into his eyes, her heart speeding up within seconds of the action. "I…" she breathed again, not knowing how to break the inner barrier she had built for herself long ago.

She gave up and pressed her lips against his again, this time allowing herself to be pushy and needy. She urged him down onto his back against the pillows and she spread herself out over him. Her hand's held onto his face as her knees rested on either side of his waist. Seth let her have complete control; his hands stayed positioned at her lower back as he waited for her to make the next move.

One hand slid down his chest and the other soon followed. She fingered the bottom of his sweater for a moment before gripping it and sliding it up slowly, pulling her lips from his so she could slide it over his head. He fell back against the pillows as the blue pullover cleared his head and he welcomed the feel of her lips back on his.

She then made quick work of his buttons as his hands became bolder, one sliding over her bottom and gripping it to pull her up and closer against him while the other slipped under her blouse, sliding up and fingering the clasp of her bra until it came undone.

Summer pulled up slightly once again and Seth's lips following her up gave her the room she needed to slide the shirt off his shoulders. Seth took advantage of the new position, too, pulling her shirt over her head and brushing his lips across her upper chest as he slid her bra off.

They stayed like that, topless and pressed against each other as he slid his lips across her skin and suckled on the random spots that he knew to be sensitive and make her moan. He usually got a lot of mileage out of just doing this; he liked kissing her skin and feeling it heat up under his cool lips. And, a new discovery he made just today, he liked kissing the spot over her heart and feeling it speed up against his lips as he murmured that he loved her.

After a few minutes she was pushing him away softly and sitting back on his lap. Her hands fell to the top of her jeans and she flicked the button open slowly, knowing that Seth enjoyed the slow deliberateness of it. Her fingers moved to her zipper and she inched it down, her eyes burning into his as she did so. She could see the struggle in his eyes. Part of him wanted to look down and see what she was revealing to him while the other didn't want to drop the connection between their eyes.

She broke eye contact when the zipper stopped sliding and she looked down. She looked up at him once more before swinging her leg over his thighs so that she was off of his lap and sitting at his side. She grasped the waist of her jeans and slid them down over her hips before gracefully falling back so she could slide them the rest of the way off. She got them halfway down her thighs before Seth couldn't resist and took over, brushing his fingertips purposefully over her smooth skin as he pulled the pants the rest of the way down, over her feet resting in his lap, and dropped them on the floor next to the bed.

He leaned forward then and kissed her, not able to resist anymore. He pressed her down so that they were lying horizontally across the bed as he gripped her sides and his lips worked over hers, deliberate and slow.

The slight pressure of her hands against his chest a moment later was enough to get him to sit up and give her room. She caught her breath for a second before sitting up and kissing him again quickly and hungrily. When she pulled away she never broke contact with his intense gaze as she leaned back against the head board and slid under the covers.

Once settled she reached out and hooked a hand into the front of his jeans, pulling him towards her. His lips crashed into hers and she moaned, her hands rising up to grasp his face and deepen the kiss. Soon her hands slid over the smooth expanse of his chest and abdomen and started fiddling with the button of his jeans. She was unwilling to pull away and look down, though, and she was at a weird angle, so she was having more trouble than she normally would have. She was relieved when she felt Seth's hands slide over hers and take up the task, easily completing it. Her hands immediately moved to his zipper and she slid it down. She then pushed at the top of his jeans, knowing she wouldn't actually accomplish getting them over his hips at her angle but that he would understand her urging and do it for her.

He sat back and without fanfare pushed his pants and boxers down, using his feet to kick them the rest of the way off once he got them down far enough. She pulled the covers back for him and he slid underneath them quickly, his demeanor suddenly becoming more urgent.

They met each other in the middle and their lips crashed against each other. Her tongue forced its way into his mouth and he welcomed it gratefully, angling his neck downwards for better access.

He pressed himself into her thigh, unable to ignore the persistent throbbing down there and giving into its need for some sort of attention.

Summer moaned into his mouth at the feel of it and gave no warning before reaching down and taking it into her hand. Seth pulled away, choking on his breath as the sudden sensation overwhelmed him. He enjoyed it for about thirty seconds before reaching down and stilling her motions. He shook his head slightly and she understood what it meant. He wasn't overflowing with self-restraint at the moment, and too much attention too quickly might end badly.

She kissed him again as she wrapped her arms around his back and rolled him on top of her. He was now pressing against her ever inconvenient panties, and she was damning them for being in the way. He was grinding against her and she let out a throaty groan against his mouth, thrusting her hips against his. It didn't take much for her to realize she was as far past the point of needing foreplay as he was. She had been past the point from the second he'd whispered those three words to her.

He had one hand under her back and the other stroking over her breast, his fingertips brushing over her nipple and making her tremble. She took hold of that hand with her own and guided it deliberately down her stomach until his fingertips were peeking under the top of her boy shorts.

His hand stayed poised there for a few torturous moments before he pulled back and looked at her. Maybe it was because they had just gotten back together and he didn't feel comfortable taking the same liberties he used to, or maybe it was because he just respected her that much and wanted to make sure he was doing what she wanted, but either way he was staring at her, asking for permission to do what she had practically just begged him to do.

And suddenly that lightness and tingling in her stomach that had subsided once she began her assault on him was suddenly back full force and all she could think about was how much she wanted him. Her hips thrust up and forward, pushing his hand further down at the same she moaned is name, begging him with the single word to get on with it.

His fingers slipped all the way down and he watched her eyes close and her mouth fall open as little whimpers escaped from the back of her throat. His free hand pressed her hip down, stopping the natural thrusting motion she was trying to start so he could keep up his own rhythm. Her eyes snapped open at the resistance and when she found his eyes staring back at her she nearly came on the spot. His teeth were digging into his bottom lip and his eyes were hazy as they focused on hers. He was so focused, and he looked so intent and determined to bring her pleasure that it sent her insides reeling.

She was so in love with him it was ridiculous. And suddenly his fingers were nowhere near enough for her.

She pulled his face down towards her and captured his lips as she used her other hand to push at her panties. Seth got the hint and used the hand that had just been driving her to euphoric bliss moments before to push the now soiled garment down her legs. He got them as far as her calves before she took over with her feet and pulled them the rest of the way down, pushing them to the side and leaving them at the foot of the bed.

She squirmed under him until he was resting between her legs and pressing intimately against her. He was positioned to enter her and only needed to move an inch before he would be sliding into her. But he seemed intent on making her suffer, or maybe he just liked the suspense; either way she felt like she was about to go crazy if he didn't do it soon.

But then she saw his eyes again, so sincere and loving that suddenly she was in no hurry to make the moment go faster. His lips descended on hers slowly, and she moaned when they finally made contact. A second later he was swallowing her gasp as he pushed into her, catching her off guard and making her entire body buzz with the unexpected pleasure.

He gripped her hips and started moving in her, grinding against her with every thrust to give her that extra pleasure. It was slow and deliberate, unlike two nights before. It had been their first time together in over a month, and she had forced him to take her against the wall next to the mail table in the foyer. That had been fast and hard and frantic, and she had woken up sore the next morning. This was passionate in a whole other way; every move he made was with the intent of loving her and proving his devotion.

And it made what little self-made defenses she had left crumble. The feelings were too strong and she couldn't hide it anymore; she didn't want to.

"Oh my god…" she moaned, her head pressing back into the pillows and her eyes squeezing shut, "I love you."

Seth's eyes widened and his pace quickened without him being able to control it. Summer's breathing sped up and she bit her lip hard before giving up and moaning again; no one was home, and even if they were she probably couldn't have cared less if anyone heard her. She gasped his name and repeated the sentiment, not being able to stop herself. And he sped up again and buried his head against her neck, sucking and lapping at the area between her neck and shoulder.

She felt his own proclamation reverberate against her skin and she started to tremble.

"Say it again…" she murmured into the air, husky and barely above a whisper, and she was doubtful that he even heard it.

But then he pulled his head up and looked her in the eyes, his own wide and glassy and unable to really focus through the pleasure, but he had heard her. "I love you…" he whispered, then brought his lips down on hers. He pulled away slightly and murmured it again against her lips. And he repeated it over and over again right through her whimpering climax and then chanted her name softly as mantra against her neck through his own.

His head fell to her chest in exhaustion as he finished, all energy gone from his body. He listened in silence for several minutes as her heart beat went from an erratic pounding against his cheek to a steady rhythm of thumps that was slowly luring him into sleep.

Summer was stroking a hand lazily through his damp hair in a way that was so relaxing he wished he could stay there forever. When it abruptly slowed to a stop he turned his head slightly upward and kissed the side of her breast before murmuring against it sleepily, "Are you still up?"

She hummed in the positive, but the softness of it gave him little faith in her making it much longer.

"Don't fall asleep on me," he requested as he brushed his fingers over her hips and gripped her side softly.

"Mm, mm," Seth felt her head shake no against the top of his head. He gained a little more faith in her answer when he felt her shift a little under him and then felt her pressing a lingering kiss against the top of his wet curls.

He turned his face inward and pressed a series of kisses across her chest, his tongue lapping out at the salty skin. He moved up, creating a wet trail of kisses from between her breasts all the way up the side of her neck to her ear.

"This is it, Sum…" he whispered huskily into it.

Summer's eyes slid open as his cryptic statement breathed some life into her tired being.

"I promise…" he kissed her cheek, her temple, the area right next to her ear. "I'll be everything you want me to be. I'll do anything to make you happy."

"Anything?" she whispered, catching his gaze and holding it.

He nodded and kissed her nose then her forehead. "_Anything_. Just ask."

"Stay with me tonight," she requested quietly.

He held her gaze for a moment before looking towards the door for a second as if to ask about her dad and Gloria.

"My dad's still in New York for that seminar and Gloria's with him. And you've done it before. Your parents won't mind."

"I'll stay," he whispered against her forehead and she sighed into his neck.

-------------------------------------------

Seth awoke the next morning to angry, high-pitched shouts in Filipino.

He opened his eyes to see Summer's maid gesturing wildly while covering her eyes and spouting what Seth assumed to be some intense expletives. When he looked down to where her hand was pointing he suddenly saw the problem and his face flushed a deep red. He quickly reached to pull the covers up over his hips while he felt Summer scrambling next to him to pull the sheets up to her neck.

"Sorry, Lupe…" Summer mumbled as she avoided eye contact and buried her face against Seth's neck.

Lupe continued to mutter curses at them in Filipino as she made her way into Summer's bathroom and grabbed the hamper of dirty clothes.

"Lock the door next time," she chastised as she finally left the room and shut the door behind her.

"Shit," Summer cursed as soon as the door was closed. "She's gonna tell my dad."

"Are you serious?" Seth asked, eyes bulging in worry. "Like he doesn't already hate me enough?"

"So, at least you're not supposed to be his little angel. God… he's never going to leave me alone again."

"Do you really think she'll tell?"

"Did she seem like she was in any mood to be nice to us a minute ago?" she asked pointedly.

"Good point."

They sat in silent reflection for a minute as they considered their options. Seth then watched her curiously as she sat up and reached for his shirt she had discarded the night before and wrapped it around her body.

He couldn't help but stare a little when she stood and he saw that it didn't quite cover everything. His ogling was interrupted, though, when his boxers landed over his head.

"Wha-"

"We're already late for school, Cohen, and we have a final at eleven. We can't do anything about Lupe now, and my dad won't be home until the weekend, so I'll just figure out something later."

"Alright," he sighed, nodding. "So what are we doing now if we don't have to be at school for another two hours?"

"Well first, you're showering, because you smell, and then we're going by your house for some clean clothes so you don't have to do the walk of shame."

"Ah," Seth nodded his understanding as he stood and followed her into the bathroom. "And that's very much appreciated. That walk of shame's not very fun," he smiled as he wrapped his arms around Summer's waist from behind and started to nuzzle into her neck.

"Well maybe if you weren't so lazy and always falling asleep over here you wouldn't have to do it so much."

"Who's the one who asked me to stay last night?" he whispered against her shoulder as his fingers slipped his shirt down her arm so his lips could find her skin.

"Like one out of twenty…" she countered, though the moan that came out afterwards and the way she rolled her neck to accommodate his lips did little to help her argument.

"Really, though…" he continued huskily against her ear, "it's understandable. Who wouldn't have wanted me to stay after that hotter than hot sex?"

"Ah," Summer groaned and rolled her eyes, pulling away. "And now you ruin it."

"Hey," Seth reached out and grabbed her arm before she could get too far and pulled her back against him. "Seriously, though," he spoke softly, tucking some of her bed-tangled hair behind her ear. "I meant everything I said last night."

"Well I knew you weren't just saying it to get me into bed," she smiled and shrugged, feeling slightly self-conscious under his deep gaze.

"I was saying it because you deserve to know," he clarified seriously. "I'm sorry I never said it sooner."

"You did say it sooner…" she corrected, confused.

"Not when it really mattered. I didn't want you to think I only ever said it because it was part of a game. I really love you, Summer."

"I know…" she smiled then hesitated, her mouth poised to speak but nothing more coming out.

He saw her hesitation and understood. "And last night was the first time you ever said it to me…" he brought the elephant in the room into focus.

She shrugged and averted her gaze.

Seth saw her discomfort and felt his stomach tighten a little bit. What if she hadn't really meant it? The thought ran through his mind as he too dropped his gaze to the ground.

Summer saw the doubt suddenly appear on his face and she immediately felt bad. "Seth…" she spoke softly to gain his attention and used her hand to direct his stubborn gaze up towards her face. "I meant it…"

The smile that spread across his face at the admission was enough to make her want to drag him back into bed and forget all about their final…

"Really?" he grinned, and she couldn't help her own subtle smile from spreading across her face as she nodded.

"Good. That's good," he nodded, relieved. "You had me worried, like maybe you had just been in the throes of passion and it slipped and you didn't-"

He was cut off as she shoved him lightly. "'Throes of passion', Cohen?! I'm not some nympho who can't control what she spouts out during sex."

"I don't know, Sum," he prodded, embracing the new playful mood. "You were pretty into it. And we both now my skills are pretty capable of getting you to start shouting all sorts of things."

"Fine," Summer nodded as she shrugged out of his arms. "Then I don't love you. I guess it was just the sex."

"Ah, Sum…" he groaned dramatically and grabbed at his heart as he watched her sway away from him and turn on the shower. He practically drooled when she stood up to shrug the shirt completely off of her shoulders, leaving her in nothing.

"You know…" she smirked temptingly at him as she stepped backwards toward the tub. "We have a couple hours… and if you come in here maybe I'll lose myself in the throes again and spout some more stuff."

Seth's eyes widened as he watched her turn from him and step into the steamy spray of the shower. "I'm up for the challenge," he mumbled as he followed after her, delighting in the shocked squeal that escaped her mouth as he suddenly pressed her against the wall of the shower.

His lips closed over hers swiftly, cutting off her squeal and delighting as it transformed into a moan.

When he pulled away Summer smiled as she slid her hands down his slicked chest. She stopped when they reached his midriff and she ran her finger around his bellybutton thoughtfully.

Finally, she looked up and grinned. "I love you, Cohen."

Seth smirked as he cupped her butt and pulled her tighter against him. "Hmm… And I didn't even have to get you in the throes."

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